Can lack of UVB kill a chameleon in 4-5 days?

Mom

Mom

Member
Hello everyone, I was just recently in the health clinic asking questions about my jacksons chameleon. I was told by the pet store my one bulb they sold me was a UVB and heat. My chameleon was fine until a few days ago he was acting sick and lethargic, he wasn't eating or pooping, his grip was weak and he slept all day. I purchased my chameleon Friday evening, and he has died today this afternoon. I'm not sure if the lack of UVB could kill a chameleon in a few days, but I'm angry at the pet store for telling me this bulb provides both UVB and heat. My main question is: can the lack of UVB kill a chameleon in 4-5 days?

I called the pet store and they are going to replace the chameleon but it doesn't replace this life that was lost. Very sad for the chameleon. I also plan to buy a separate UVB bulb today for my next chameleon. Thank you anyone who can give me advice on the UVB bulbs.
 
No it wouldn't kill him that fast. I just read through your other thread, and first let me start by saying I'm sorry for your loss.

Was the bulb a long bulb or was it a compact one? As said in your other thread, there is a good chance he had parasites being that most jacksons chameleons available are wild caught.

Chase
 
Mom said:
Hello everyone, I was just recently in the health clinic asking questions about my jacksons chameleon. I was told by the pet store my one bulb they sold me was a UVB and heat. My chameleon was fine until a few days ago he was acting sick and lethargic, he wasn't eating or pooping, his grip was weak and he slept all day. I purchased my chameleon Friday evening, and he has died today this afternoon. I'm not sure if the lack of UVB could kill a chameleon in a few days, but I'm angry at the pet store for telling me this bulb provides both UVB and heat. My main question is: can the lack of UVB kill a chameleon in 4-5 days?

I called the pet store and they are going to replace the chameleon but it doesn't replace this life that was lost. Very sad for the chameleon. I also plan to buy a separate UVB bulb today for my next chameleon. Thank you anyone who can give me advice on the UVB bulbs.
Click to expand...

You should be angry at the pet store. They stocked an animal for which they had (and used) terrible husbandry information and they passed it off to you. Its not as if proper husbandry information is hard to find these days!! A 10 second web search would have brought them to this forum and they COULD have educated themselves about the exotic creatures they decided to sell. But it falls on deaf ears. The best way to get them to pay attention is to REFUSE the replacement cham offer, boycott the store entirely (including not buying any pet supplies there), and tell them in no uncertain terms why.

BTW, most lightbulbs have some information printed on the base of the bulb. If you happen to throw away the light bulb box you should still be able to find out some basics about the bulb...brand, wattage, etc.

From what I know about the combination UV heat type bulbs they tend to be pretty hot. Way too much for a jackson's cham in a smaller setup. Again, knowing the exact bulb you were sold would help.
 
I'm not very sure what kind of bulb. I can tell you that it is blue and it does say on the bulb ZOO MED 60w and I think it says 120v but that part of the print os faded and hard to read, so i could be wrong about the 120v. Before purchasing the bulb we told the pet store we needed the UVB because our 5.0 ReptiGlo was over a year old. They had recommended that blue bulb I was using before my chameleon died. I can feel the heat but Im thinking there was no UVB.

As for the chameleon itself, they said they get them from a breeder. I don't know of that means the chameleon was sick before hand, or if the move from breeder to pet store to my home was too much stress. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't the lack of UVB that killed him.

Before this chameleon I had owned a Jackson before using a screen cage with that 5.0 repti glo bulb. It worked great until my chameleon died choking on this substrate called coconut earth that was also recommended. He had missed the cricket and got a large mouthful of dirt instead and died on Christmas morning two years ago. Since then I decided I was ready for a new chameleon, but that didn't ladt a week (my other chameleon lasted about a year). I was worried it may have been the bulb, but maybe the enclosure can also be the problem? I purchased a new cage Friday with the chameleon, and it stands about 3ft tall. It is made out of plastic but it has air flow through the screen door and the top. I'll post pictures for a better idea.

If I purchase another chameleon from somewhere else, I want to make sure he is happy and has all the necessary equipment to keep him healthy. Please let me know what you think of the enclosure (I also haven't had the chance to buy a digital thermometer before my chameleon died, but I plan to do so asap this weekend).


Also, is there a way to upload multiple photos if you're using a smart phone? I can only post one picture per post.
 
Top of cage is pictures here. It is open to allow air flow, but I can also put this plastic dome over the top (I giess to keep the crickets from escaping) and there is a hole at the top of the dome that also allows the lamp cord to run out.
 
And here is the setup if I use the dome. I have removed the lamp though since I no longer have a chameleon in the cage, but the dome houses the lamp and it does sit outside of the cage on the metal grate you see in the first picture from the last post.

This weekend I am going to get a digital thermometer as well as a new UVB bulb and a heat bulb. I even plan to get the new light fixture that can hold the two bulbs. Would it be safe to use the same enclosure? Or cloud the next chameleon get sick as well since I had a sick one in this cage?
 
Only the top is open to airflow? If you read any care sheets online, 99% say AT LEAST two sides of the enclosure should be screen. Beyond that I'd be concerned that the cham could escape through the bars, or worse, get stuck in them. A digital thermometer should also be something you buy LONG before you purchase the animal, and ensure the enclosure temps are right. You may be putting your new pet in an oven for all you know. RESEARCH YOUR ANIMALS PEOPLE.
 
Well the chameleon can't get stuck in the top because it's not the wide, I can't even fit my pinky finger in between them. Of course I guess anything can happen. And I have a screen cage but it is old and worn out, and my chameleon's nails use to get stuck in them. So I bought this new cage thinking it was alright because there is a breeder who actually keeps all his chameleon in glass cages. I seen it somewhere on this forum and will try to look for it. Another person had posted it. So I figured my enclosure had more open air than a glass cage and would get proper venalation. I'm going to look more in to this brand of this enclosure and see what reviews I can find on it because I will take it back if it is the cause.
 
Mom said:
I'm not very sure what kind of bulb. I can tell you that it is blue and it does say on the bulb ZOO MED 60w and I think it says 120v but that part of the print os faded and hard to read, so i could be wrong about the 120v. Before purchasing the bulb we told the pet store we needed the UVB because our 5.0 ReptiGlo was over a year old. They had recommended that blue bulb I was using before my chameleon died. I can feel the heat but Im thinking there was no UVB.

As for the chameleon itself, they said they get them from a breeder. I don't know of that means the chameleon was sick before hand, or if the move from breeder to pet store to my home was too much stress. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't the lack of UVB that killed him.

Before this chameleon I had owned a Jackson before using a screen cage with that 5.0 repti glo bulb. It worked great until my chameleon died choking on this substrate called coconut earth that was also recommended. He had missed the cricket and got a large mouthful of dirt instead and died on Christmas morning two years ago. Since then I decided I was ready for a new chameleon, but that didn't ladt a week (my other chameleon lasted about a year). I was worried it may have been the bulb, but maybe the enclosure can also be the problem? I purchased a new cage Friday with the chameleon, and it stands about 3ft tall. It is made out of plastic but it has air flow through the screen door and the top. I'll post pictures for a better idea.

If I purchase another chameleon from somewhere else, I want to make sure he is happy and has all the necessary equipment to keep him healthy. Please let me know what you think of the enclosure (I also haven't had the chance to buy a digital thermometer before my chameleon died, but I plan to do so asap this weekend).


Also, is there a way to upload multiple photos if you're using a smart phone? I can only post one picture per post.
Click to expand...

That "blue bulb" did not provide the correct UVB. Incandescent so-called "full spectrum" bulbs generally don't. But, as you said, you only had the cham for 4-5 days, so that wasn't the reason he died.

What are the dimensions of the enclosure? It looks very small to me. And, with the plastic dome over the top its going to hold in a lot of heat. If the heat felt warm to you (a mammal with a body temp of 98.6F) it was much too warm for a jackson's. Heat means fast drying, so it would probably dehydrate and overheat one. This on top of the probably minimal or poor care at the pet shop is probably what happened.
 
leedragon said:
that was not about the cage
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I don't understand what you mean. The link I posted about the cage was other people asking opions on the Chameleon Catina, the same cage I have. I was hoping someone has had a good expiernce with it.

And the cage is about 3ft tall and has a magnetic screen door that is about 12in long and maybe a little under 12in wide. It's probably a foot and a half to two feet long in diameter. Also I mentioned I could feel heat in the heat from the bulb, however the cage didn't feel very warm where it would have caused overheating. I didn't notice my chameleon hanging out towards the bottom as if the top of the enclosure was too hot. He pretty much stayed in one spot majority of the time. This weekend I plan to buy a new light fixture with the right bulbs and a thermometer so I can test the cage's temperature before I get a new chaneleon. I did more research on this cage and I haven't found any bad reviews at the moment (other than my own experience). I will keep everyone posted on what the temps are after I get my new supplies and I will post them in the other fourm I provided in my last comment (there should be a link leading to it). I read some other people are trying it but they haven't replied to that post with feedback. So I'm not sure what their experiences are.
 
Okay well never mind about the link. I guess there is a water fountain named the same thing. That was confusing...
 
I am sorry to see your little one died. As others have stated, he was more than likely sick when you got him and the stress of the move into another environment was just too much for him. Please check out our Care Resources(to the left) and then click on caresheets and then Jackson's chameleons if you are going to get another one. It will tell you everything you need to purchase for a set up. These caresheets are written from experience and success in keeping different species. I noticed in your new enclosure you also had mulch in the bottom. That is another hazard, as was the coconut substrate. Nothing in the bottom of the enclosures is the safest and most sanitary. It might not look as pretty to the eye but it is the best option for the over all well being of your chameleon.
 
carol5208 said:
I am sorry to see your little one died. As others have stated, he was more than likely sick when you got him and the stress of the move into another environment was just too much for him. Please check out our Care Resources(to the left) and then click on caresheets and then Jackson's chameleons if you are going to get another one. It will tell you everything you need to purchase for a set up. These caresheets are written from experience and success in keeping different species. I noticed in your new enclosure you also had mulch in the bottom. That is another hazard, as was the coconut substrate. Nothing in the bottom of the enclosures is the safest and most sanitary. It might not look as pretty to the eye but it is the best option for the over all well being of your chameleon.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I allreciate all the advice. I actually informed the pet store of my last experince with substrate and they recommend (once again) to use this subtrate which are rocks. They look like little lava rocks to me. I am also worried about ever using my cage again. I've been trying my best to find more reviews but I can't find anything at the moment. I'm not even sure if the pet store would give me my money back on the cage now that I've used it. But again, I appreciate everyone's advice from their own experience.
 
Small rocks can be injested also, especially as your chameleon gets bigger so as I said nothing on the bottom is best. If you decide to get another, we are here to help and guide you along the way. I have been in the community and keeping for about 5 yrs now and I knew absolutely nothing when I joined. We were all noobies at one point! I hope now that you found us, you will give it another chance. I think I would just write off that cage if they will not give you a refund and get a screen one.
 
I'd probably stay away from that pet store. I've never seen a cage like that. It appears to be too small and, as others mentioned, much too prone to allowing heat to build up. Additionally, they recommended a light bulb with no UVB output and far too much heat for the small cage. AND, they sold you a potentially dangerous substrate, more than once.

Do yourself and your next chameleon a huge favor and read about the proper care and set up before bringing home your next pet. This forum is loaded with great information from people who really care about the well being of these animals.
 
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